The MINI First has just been launched in the UK. The new entry level model in the MINI range utilises a version of the 1.4 litre petrol engine found in the MINI One, detuned to produce 75hp, rather than the 90hp of the afore mentioned MINI One.
The MINI First is an interesting proposition, emissions and consumption are the same as the MINI One, so aside from initial purchase price there seems little to save when considering this new model over its slightly higher spec, marginally more powerful brother. However when you consider the initial saving of around £1,400 means you can purchase a MINI First, with options, for less than the base price of the MINI One, perhaps things begin to make a little more sense.
Driving the MINI First on the familiar country lanes of Bedfordshire I found myself taken back seven years or more, when I was behind the wheel of an early MINI One. The small plastic steering wheel, the awful basic stereo, the grey and silver interior… It reminded me of when the bottom of the rung MINI really was a basic, but fun little car. At least this time around you don’t have to raid your drawers, or your parents’ drawers, to find a music cassette to entertain you on your travels, you do, at least, have a CD player as standard.
The all silver MINI First I was galavanting around in had a few options ticked. First off was the Salt Pack. At £390 this gives you front fog lights, interior lights pack, on-board computer, passenger seat height adjustment, storage compartment pack and velour floor mats (“oooh” I hear you gasp). The silver paint, of course, is an additional £330 due to it’s metallic finish. Last, but by no means least, the most expensive addition to our test vehicle was manual air conditioning. That’s right, in case you were not already aware, the MINI First doesn’t have Air Con as standard, just hot and cold blowing air.
But this MINI, equipped with 15″ steel wheels, still offers a full range of clever technology. Auto Start/Stop, Brake Energy Regeneration and Shift Point Display combine under the MINIMALISM fuel saving technology banner; while ABS, dynamic stability control, a complete set of airbags including head curtain air bags, and all round disk brakes ensure that occupant safety is well taken of.
While options are limited and the standard spec is pretty miserly by some of today’s standards, the best part about the MINI First is that, while on the open road, it still feels every bit a MINI. Sure, it’s MINI motoring at its most basic, but as mentioned earlier, it reminds me very much of the MINI One when the car first came to market, and believe me when I say that is no bad thing.
The car lacks a certain amount of zip, but doesn’t feel particularly sluggish when compared to the more powerful MINI One. The small wheels, quite possible aided by a lack of heavy and non-essential optional equipment, help to ensure the MINI First feels nicely fleet of foot in the curves. It’s true that the seat offers little support, but in all honesty, this isn’t a racing MINI, and you’re not going to be hammering along at Cooper, let alone John Cooper Works speeds, but hold onto the wheel and clench your buttocks and you can fling the MINI First around the corners and it will happily oblige your moments of side to side sillyness.
In a world of increasingly bloated cars smattered with free options galore, the MINI First might strike many as a bit of an oddity. It certainly looked that way to us at first. But having driven the new entry level offering from MINI we feel we’ve come to an understanding. We’re not in love. We’re not blown away. But we like it, and it’s a new MINI for less than £11,000 and it’s been too long since you’ve been able to find one of those.
Tags: Bedfordshire, MINI First, mini uk, review
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